A prominent Italian politician came out
as gay during a live TV segment.
Vincenzo Spadafora is a member of
Italy's Chamber of Deputies and a former minister for youth policies
and sports.
During an appearance on Sunday's What
the times are like (Che tempo che fa) Spadafora discussed
his sexuality, saying that he came out for himself.
“I learned perhaps too late that it
is important to love and respect each other,” he
told host Fabio Fazio.
“I think that people's private lives
should remain that way, but I also think those with a public role, a
political role like mine, have some more responsibility.”
Spadafora said that he decided to come
out to show that his sexuality was not “in contradiction” to his
Catholic faith.
The 47-year-old politician is currently
promoting his upcoming book, No Reservations: In Politics and Life
(Senza Riserve: In Politica e nella Vita).
Italy has recognized gay and lesbian
couples with civil unions since 2016.